You Couldn't Ignore Me If You Tried

The Brat Pack, John Hughes, and Their Impact on a Generation

By: Susannah Gora

Narrated by: Kelli Tager

You can quote lines from Sixteen Candles ("Last night at the dance my little brother paid a buck to see your underwear"), your iPod playlist includes more than one song by the Psychedelic Furs and Simple Minds, you watch The Breakfast Club every time it comes on cable, and you still wish that Andie had ended up with Duckie in Pretty in Pink. You're a bonafide Brat Pack devotee—and you're not alone.

The films of the Brat Pack—from Sixteen Candles to Say Anything—are some of the most watched, bestselling DVDs of all time. The landscape that the Brat Pack memorialized—where outcasts and prom queens fall in love, preppies and burn-outs become buds, and frosted lip gloss, skinny ties, and exuberant optimism made us feel invincible—is rich with cultural themes and significance, and has influenced an entire generation who still believe that life always turns out like an '80s movie.

You Couldn't Ignore Me If You Tried takes us back to that era, through Susannah Gora's interviews with key players such as Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, Ally Sheedy, Judd Nelson, Andrew McCarthy, and John Cusack, and mines all the material from the movies to the music to the way the films were made to show how they helped shape our visions for romance, friendship, society, and success.

©2010 Susannah Gora (P)2022 Tantor

It takes you back… And that’s the point.

Anyone who lived through that era, and saw even one of John Hughes movies, well revel in this book. It gives you the in–depth look that you wanted to have for years. And for those who didn’t grow up in that era, but still have enjoyed those movies, it will give you some insight as to what that era was all about. A great read.

EVERYTHING but especially the backstories

this brought back to memories of when those iconic movies premiered. every time I see one on TV I have to stop and watch it

Best summary of The Brat Pack

The story is told with such care and sensitivity about these movies and what it meant to this era. I'm a big fan of these movies and to gain further understanding of why they meant so much to do many is awesome. I will be listening to this again.

A little dragged out at points

I wish it was a little more about the movies than how they have affected people over the years. Also I thought the book was from 2022 but is account from 2010 it was recorded in 2022.

Brings me back to my teenage years! Fantastic Narration! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

If you grew up in the 80's and love John Hughes Films and the Brat Pack, you have to listen to this. It is sooooo good. So many behind the scene stories and fun facts about the films, the actors and the impact it had on our generation. I loved Kelli Tager's narration, she kept me interested throughout and did an amazing job quoting everyone with the perfect amount of characterization. This audiobook just left me feeling good and I feel like I know all secrets behind the scenes.

Summary of our youth

A brilliant recap of the 80s that we remember in love. I recommend this book to film buffs and 80’s kids

I love the 80s

Great book for any 80s teen movies fan. Some facts that I didn’t know and happy to know. So sad that I finished it fast. You won’t be disappointed :)

So many memories

Anyone who lived through the 80s and or loved John Hughes style movies, this is a wonderful book.

Great Book!

My only con on this book is that they didn’t go into detail on the making of Weird Science like they did with all the other movies.

Awesome story for fans of the Brat Pack!

I’m a millennial, not a gen Xer, but I LOVED all of John Hughes’ movies growing up! Well, most of them. This story gives an in depth behind the scenes look into some of his most famous, and “I didn’t know he wrote and/or directed that!” movies. It was really interesting and I really enjoyed it!